Recently, I made a batch of gluten-free peanut butter granola; and it was a hit!
So I decided to try making a batch of oat balls (same ingredients except with additional fruit)—and they turned out exceptionally well. (Any ingredient may be substituted to accommodate food allergies and intolerances.)
I have a brunch potluck to attend this weekend, so they are the perfect “finger food” for such an event.
Ingredients:
1 (32-ounce) bag of Trader Joe’s gluten-free oats
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups finely chopped, unsalted dry roasted peanuts (I used a food processor to finely chop them.)
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 (16-ounce) bag of pitted prunes or dates
2 ripe bananas
5-6 apples, quartered
1 cup natural peanut butter
Directions:
In a large dishpan, toss together the oats, shredded coconut, finely chopped peanuts, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Using a Vitamix or any high-speed blender, mix together the bananas and apples until smooth and creamy. Then add several dates or prunes at a time, followed by heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter at a time. Take your time to add these last ingredients in incremental amounts for ease of blending.
After the ingredients in the Vitamix or blender are smooth and creamy, add this “fruit paste” to the dry ingredients by forming a well in the center of the dry ingredients and put the fruit paste in it.
With clean hands, mix everything together until the dry ingredients are thoroughly saturated with the fruit paste.
Form into balls the size of golf balls.
Place them on cookie sheets and freeze at least six hours. Then, put them in gallon-size Ziplock bags to store in the freezer.
They are best served at room temperature.
Store any leftovers in the freezer.
Enjoy!
The perfect solution for a brunch potluck contribution.
Granola:
To make granola, simply remove an apple or two from the above recipe.
Spread evenly onto silicone-lined dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 165 degrees for six hours.
Or spread onto rimmed cookie sheets and bake at 300 degrees; stirring every twenty minutes until golden brown.
Dried fruit may be added after the granola cools.
Emily Boller, artist, mother, and author of Starved to Obesity, lost 100 pounds more than fifteen years ago by eating an abundance of high-nutrient, plant-rich foods. Today, she’s certified in whole plant nutrition from the Nutritarian Education Institute. She’s on a mission to combine practical, no-nonsense and cost-effective tips—with easy to understand science—in order to help anyone escape the addictive grip of the Standard American Diet. And now, she’s on a mission to bring awareness to the suffocating and potentially deadly trap of eating disorders as well.